The crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva) is a mammal that can be found in east and Southeast Asia. Its range includes southern China, Nepal, Myanmar, and northeastern India, as well as areas Laos, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. This species is active mainly at night, spending a good percentage of their time in water or near water and other moist areas. It is slender in...

The ruddy mongoose (Herpestes smithii) is native to Sri Lanka and India. It prefers a habitat within forested areas, but can sometimes be found in open fields. It holds two subspecies throughout its range, with one occurring in Sri Lanka and the other occurring in India. This species resembles the Indian gray mongoose, although it is larger and has a longer, black tipped tail. As is similar to...

The Indian gray mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), also known as the common gray mongoose, occurs in many areas of southern Asia, although it does appear in other areas of Asia. Its range includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It prefers a habitat within open forested areas, and scrublands, but can also be found in human populated areas like cultivated fields. This species is often kept...

The common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula), also known simply as the dwarf mongoose, is native to Africa. Its range extends from East Africa to Central Africa, south to Transvaal, and from Ethiopia and Eritrea. It prefers a habitat within open forests, arid grasslands, and bushlands at elevations of up to 6,561 feet. It is often seen in areas with termite mounds, where it likes to sleep, and...

The Cape grey mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta), also known as the small grey mongoose, is native to southern Africa. Until recently, it was thought to occur only in the Cape Province, but now it is known to inhabit other areas of South Africa, with a northern range that stretches into Angola. It prefers a habitat in areas with green vegetation like semi-arid scrublands and forested areas. It...

The Angolan slender mongoose (Galerella flavescens) is native to southern Africa, specifically in Namibia and Angola. It prefers a habitat within arid savannahs in Namibia, preferring areas with little vegetation, but its preferred habitat in Angola is unknown. It is thought that population numbers are high within its range, although little is known about the species’ habits. This species is...

The white-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) is the only species in the genus Ichneumia, and the largest of all mongooses. The scientific name Ichneumia is derived from the Greek word ichneumon, which translates to “tracker”. Albicauda is derived from the Latin albus, meaning “white”, and cauda, meaning “tail”.
The white-tailed mongoose can be found in most areas of Africa...

The slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea) is also called the black-tailed mongoose or black-tipped mongoose, and can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. There are approximately fifty subspecies within this range. They are able to adapt to most habitats within their range, but they prefer savannah and semiarid plains. They rarely occur in deserts or densely forested areas.
The slender...

The Common Kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus), also known as the Long-nosed Kusimanse, is a small, diurnal kusimanse or dwarf mongoose. The Common Kusimanse is found in the west African countries of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and it has been exported to various other countries for the pet trade. It differs from other mongooses primarily in its choice of habitat, which is...

The meerkat or suricate is a small mammal and a member of the mongoose family. It inhabits all parts of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob" or "gang".
Anatomy
The meerkat is a small diurnal mongoose whose weight averages approximately 1.61 lb (731 g) for males and 1.58 lb (720 g) for females. Its long and slender body and limbs give it a body...

A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.